


Repudiate

by calmena



Category: Avatar: The Last Airbender
Genre: Alternate Universe - Canon Divergence, Angst, Canonical Child Abuse, Don't copy to another site, Gen, Ozai (Avatar) is an Asshole, Zuko (Avatar) Needs a Hug
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2020-09-08
Updated: 2020-09-08
Packaged: 2021-03-06 17:27:10
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 1,110
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/26362633
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/calmena/pseuds/calmena
Summary: When Iroh petitions to be allowed to follow Zuko into exile, Ozai instead sends him back to the front lines at Ba Sing Se, leaving Zuko alone with a crew hand-picked by the father who banished him. This has consequences.
Comments: 9
Kudos: 96





	Repudiate

"Please allow me to accompany Prince Zuko on his assignment," Iroh said. To the floor, because he was bowing, as befitting when faced with Fire Lord Ozai himself, if only because his own pride weighed less than Zuko's welfare. Not that the realization hadn't come too little, too late, staring out at him from his nephew's burned and blistered face. "Since it is, ultimately, my fault that he was allowed into the war room at all."

What was one more regret in his life when he already had so many?

Time passed by in a slow crawl as Iroh waited for a response, not twitching so much as a muscle. It was long enough that Iroh thought even Ozai would have grown tired of the game. However, a glance was enough to know that his brother had not even been courteous enough to look at him and had instead let his attention be caught by something on the training grounds outside the window.

Most likely by Azula, who had started training the day before, just after Prince Zuko had been taken away to the healers, and had barely paused to sleep since. Last Iroh had checked on her, the stone flooring had been sooty and her fingertips red with burns, not that this had stopped her from continuing to practice.

That Ozai had actively turned his back on the room to watch her, however, was, at the very least, a conscious snub of Iroh and his attempt to appeal to the Fire Lord. At the worst— Iroh's heart weighed heavy in his chest, even as he continued to wait and _breathe_.

"Your wish to redeem yourself honors you."

The fire that breathed through him was cold, even when his brother finally deigned to face him. His expression might as well have been cast in stone as his eyes swept over Iroh as if he was but a nameless commoner.

"It would do you a disservice to keep you at your nephew's side, however. Your country needs you on the front lines of Ba Sing Se, and I cannot think of any further reasons to delay your return." There was nothing apologetic in his voice, no speck of warmth. Iroh clenched his fists inside his sleeves, even as his back remained bowed.

His brother was _cruel_. To not only refuse him to accompany Zuko, but to send him back to where he had lost his own _son_ —

"I haven't been active in the military in over two years," he argued evenly, shaking his head. His palms stung where his nails bit into them. "I doubt I would be very useful, regrettably. Let the younger ones try their hands at the wall, maybe they will have better luck. It's already taken too much from me."

"Oh, but you were never formally discharged. It wouldn't do you justice to just dismiss you from your service," his brother said, and below the light tone, there was a cold harshness that _burned_. "These past years were intended to allow you to heal, but I'm sure you understand the need to make use of your… military expertise once more."

"I have no wish to return into service," Iroh said bluntly, foregoing any further equivocation.

It caused his brother to raise an eyebrow and nothing more.

(Azula had started mimicking this expression a year ago and had long since mastered the move. Zuko still ended up drawing up both of his whenever he tried, a fact that never ceased to make Iroh smile into his sleeves, even as Azula mocked relentlessly.)

(Iroh thought once more of his poor nephew's harsh burns and doubted the move would hold as much fascination for him in the future.)

"I'm afraid you'll have to wait until Ba Sing Se is conquered to satisfy your wish, then," Ozai finally said. There was nothing gentle about his voice as he damned both his own brother and son in one decree. "You see, anything but your prompt return to the front lines would be regarded as desertion, and I would have to consider anyone in your presence at the time just as responsible as you."

Iroh pointedly did not grit his teeth and instead directed his face back towards the floor, where the Fire Lord would not be able to see the fury in his eyes.

This was not just a threat to him, but to Zuko as well, should he simply decide to join his nephew on his ship against orders.

Clever and cruel, and there was not a lot Iroh could do about it.

"I see you have thought this through," Iroh said slowly. The Fire Lord stared back at him, eyes like the coldest ice of the North.

"Indeed, I have."

* * *

"Where's Uncle?" Zuko asked despite himself as he was led from the palace backdoor. Apparently, he wasn't even worth being seen by the public, shameful as he was. In his state, he was actually glad about it. The bandage covered half his head, and he didn't want his people to see him like this. Not when he still flinched at fire and anything that came towards him from the left.

"He was offered a chance to redeem himself at Ba Sing Se," someone answered. Zuko couldn't tell who, with the voice muffled on his bandaged side. Maybe it was the same person who was leading him with a hard grip on his shoulder, the only thing keeping his shaking legs from giving out on him. "He chose to accept."

"...oh."

He hadn't even said goodbye?

Zuko bit down on his tongue to remind himself to keep a straight face and not let the pain show. He had no right to make demands. He was about to set out to restore his honor. It was only to be expected that this was a journey he would have to undertake on his own.

Sure, he'd thought that, since Uncle had spent the past few days next to his bed as he'd been recovering from the worst of his burns, that he would… but no. Of course.

This was Zuko's fault, it was only reasonable that it would be his to do alone.

 _This is what I deserve,_ he thought to himself. _Nothing more and nothing less._

* * *

Zuko's crew was hand-picked by his father. When Azula had told him this back in the healer's room, glee in her voice, Zuko had dizzily thought this would be a good thing.

It took two days after the fever of infection had set in for him to understand that this meant nobody was even going to attempt to help.

They were going to let him _die_.

**Author's Note:**

> And to think that this just started out as a fun "what if" that I played with while waiting for my thesis project to finish compiling. Will there be more? Possibly. I've set it to complete for now until I've figured out how interested people are in this, and until I've got my degree. Feel free to subscribe and let me know what you think! I'm open to feedback and constructive criticism if you'd like to give it. :)


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